good news about picc lines

Published

Hey good news nurses, My coworker has taken an opportunity to educate me about picc lines.

I must admit at first I was a little upset when I came in to work my weekend job and found a pt admitted for five days with a picc line and no dressing change or flush orders.(Meaning none were done.)

(The line was just for blood draws) Couldn't find policy procedure book so called our pharmacy for our policy. I got orders written and raggedy dressing changed , and I flushed the lumen that was still patent.

It seems that I wasted my time with the sterile dressing change and flushes my coworker /nurse told me that it was just an iv and was not any big deal.

Who Knew?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I disagree with your co-worker. Our hosp policy dictates a sterile dressing change (much like a central line, after all it is one, just peripherally inserted) every 7 days. With 10ml saline flush at least every 8 hours with 20ml flush after blood draws, with cap changes at every blood draw, to keep lines patent.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

No, it is not "just an IV". It requires a sterile dressing change just like a central line would. In home health the protocol is to change the dressing at least once a week. Lines used intermittently get flushed pre- and post-access. Lines not used get flushed once a week. Caps are changed weekly with the dressings. Lines that are used constantly (drips) have tubing changes once a week.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yea guys I know. I was just being sarcastic.

Sorry.

I just wanted someone to agree with me that yes, a picc line is a big deal.

My don was not even concerned about the no care method of maintaining a picc line.

She told me she drew blood from it on admit and red lumen was already occluded.

I swear there was NO documentation about this any where . :banghead:

I only knew there was a picc line cause I saw it on assessment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU cath lab, remote med.

I got the sarcasm Calliesue! Thanks for the laugh. Especially the part about the raggedy dressing. It's always fun to see what kind of creativity some nurses will use to keep a line dressing in place...instead of just replacing the darn thing (within reason of course). And the flushing...this is why I check/flush all my patient's lines first thing in the am. I'm not taking responsibility for occluding someone's line if the shift before me didn't bother to flush!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sorry, I didn't see it. I honestly wondered if you were a new nurse!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER; HBOT- lots others.

not the same!! i have the opprotunity to be trained in this, but they are TOTALLY not same

-H-

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion